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CAN Intervention in the COP18 ADP Special Event on Top Down Approach, 2 December 2012

Submitted by Sam Harris on December 2, 2012 - 2:10pm

Intervention in the ADP Special Event on Top Down Approach, 2 December 2012

-Delivered by Alden Meyer

Thank you Chair. I will limit my comments to initial thoughts on the work programme. My colleagues would be very happy to address specifics in further interventions, for example a top-down approach vs bottom-up approach. (For the record CAN supports a topdown approach).

We know from Copenhagen that the “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” approach cannot deliver the outcome that we want.

One of the key tasks coming out of Doha is to have a clear workplan for 2013 and key miletones up to 2015 to give confidence both to Parties and citizens of the world that the ADP is indeed on track to deliver a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement no later than 2015.

We are concerned that some Parties seem to think they can talk for all of 2013. While we recognize that there needs to be a brainstorming/conceptual phase; there must be a clear transition at the June session towards focused discussions and initial negotiations so that in Warsaw you are in the position to produce a compilation text of the main elements based on submissions. Moreover we need a negotiating text by COP20 that identifies the areas of convergence and divergence and the options where high level political input is needed.

In addition to those procedural steps, the ADP workplan will need to create a balanced package of agreements at each COP. These decisions need to be made taking into account developments in relevant work streams and bodies.

For example, the IPCC and the Review should provide regular updates and interim reports into the ADP.

The scientific case for urgent action is clear, we think there is renewed leadership potential given the second term of President Obama, a new Chinese leadership and other developments.

About the Climate Action Network

The Climate Action Network (CAN) is a worldwide network of over 900 Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in over 100 countries working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

CAN members work to achieve this goal through information exchange and the coordinated development of NGO strategy on international, regional, and national climate issues. [+]